Report

Child marriage, Adolescent pregnancy and Family formation in West and Central Africa

Patterns, trends and drivers of change

In 2007 in Niger, a girl smiles in the city of Agadez, capital of Agadez Region. She is a member of the Fulani ethnic group.

UNICEF/UNI74931/Pirozzi

Available in:
English
Français

Highlights

Of the 15 countries where the rate of child marriage is over 30 percent, nine are in West and Central Africa, with Niger having the highest rates in the world. The West and Central Africa region also has the highest adolescent birth rates in the world, at close to 200 births per 1,000 girls. Accompanying these patterns are high levels of poverty among adolescents, high levels of school dropout, particularly among girls, and low use of reproductive health services.